Renzo Piano's plans and the city's original features

It's absolutely a privilege that our city gate is going to be designed by world-renowned Italian architect Renzo Piano. Nevertheless, it's time now to move forward, rather than continue scrutinising this matter. By and large, the plans are sensitive. I liked the fact that the bridge is going to be narrowed, and that Freedom Square is going to be built up. However, in some aspects, our city is going to lose its baroque features.

It's a pity that a lot has been said about parking and about the Royal Opera House which brings nostalgia to many people. Valletta was not originally built by the British but by the Hospitallers, and has many features which show this, such as its buildings, the ditch and fortifications.

Malta experienced many destructive interventions by the British, such as St Paul's Gate which used to lead to Cottonera. This gate was demolished to be replaced by a tunnel in St Paul's bastion. I think our efforts should be geared to retaining Valletta's original architecture. The contemporary architecture of the Parliament house disappointed me. Another thing is the gate itself. Is Valletta going to have a gate? Gateways included rich elements of baroque ornamentation and were a means of propaganda which represented the fortifications' dignity and power.

Saying that the scope of the gate has changed is insulting to the Maltese people. Are we going to remove Mdina Gate, to make it more welcoming? There have been cases where old buildings were reconstructed, such as the main gate of Fort Ricasoli which was rebuilt after World War II. In this respect, I agree with what has been said so far about having a "city gate without a gate."